Memoirs of the Kaibas
by Cster
Summary: Gozaburo has forgotten his biological son Noa. Noa is alive and Gozaburo treats him badly. Seto and Mokuba are in this story. High school life but not centered entirely around this, may be some dueling later on. Reviews please.
1. Awakening

Noa blinked. He saw, what exactly was he seeing? At first, all that entered his line of vision was striking brightness.

Where was he?

More importantly, where had he been? The young green-haired Kaiba struggled to remember what he had been doing beforehand.

Unfortunately, he had a crystal clear perception of what had ensued.

He recollected walking from his father's limo and getting killed, or a least that's what he thought had happened until now.

Slowly, actual shapes appeared. He knew by now that he was in a hospital room and a very high tech one at that.

Almost immediately a flustered blonde nurse noticed he was awake. "Oh my-" "Clarissa, come here, now, the Kaiba boy, he's-" she excitedly called another nurse.

Not long after, an older woman, apparently, Clarissa came in.

"My child", she looked at him with a look, was it pity?

"Janette, please leave." The younger nurse looked confused but didn't question the Clarissa, perhaps she was the senior nurse of the hospital.

Noa found his voice, "How long have I been..?" His voice sounded scratchy and pained from disuse.

"Shhh, you should rest a bit longer." The older woman bit her lip nervously. But what was there to be nervous about? He was alive, shouldn't she be calling his father and mother?

"In answer to your question, you've been in a coma for 4 years."

Noa blanched, that long?

He noticed her concerned look, so he asked the question he feared to ask, "Are my parents still, alive?"

Clarissa looked stunned. "Of course, my dear, in fact I'll go phone them right now." She smiled assuredly at Noa as she left the room.

Noa relaxed, now everything could be as before. The Kaiba family could once again be happy and whole, at least that's what Noa tried to convince himself.

When Clarissa left the room, her fake smile fell. But, true to her word, she went to phone the Kaibas. Of course his parents were still alive, however, they had grown impatient. Because their heir to Kaiba Corp had been in a near death state for so long, Gozaburo had gone to adopt a new one, a child smarter than his own, Seto Kaiba.

Clarissa dialed the number, she couldn't believe that a father had truly forgotten about his own son after a mere six months. For after this time had elapsed, he had adopted Seto and Mokuba Kaiba. From the an outsider's point of view in fact one couldn't tell the boys weren't his real sons.

"Hello," Gozaburo's sharp all business voice cut through the line like steel.

Clarissa nearly jumped it was so cold.

Her voice wavered a bit, "Your son is awake."

For once in his life, Gozaburo was speechless but only for about a minute, he recovered rapidly.

"I'll be there in 5."

"Dad," Seto gently pulled on Gozaburo's sleeve, "where are you going?"

"Nowhere special, we'll go together." Though his words were not rude, his tone of voice was nowhere near kind.

"Can Mokuba come?" Seto bent his head in an almost ashamed way.

Gozaburo looked distracted and mildly put out but he didn't allow his mood to reach his voice, "Yes." His dark charcoal colored eyes stared right at Seto, demanding he refrain from dawdling.

Seto briskly strode up to Mokuba's room.

"Big brother? What-" the younger boy rubbed his eyes a bit, as he was only 7 he had been napping.

Seto's irritation at Gozaburo's forgetting to mention Mokuba was temporarily forgotten, "Dad needs us to go with him somewhere, hurry up okay."

He flashed the younger boy a smile as the two walked down the stairs and out to the limo with their adoptive father.

As the two boys slipped into the back of the chauffeured vehicle, Mokuba opened his mouth to inquire of their destination.

Seto very nearly glared at his beloved brother; his gesture screamed for Mokuba to keep quiet as Gozaburo wasn't in the mood to talk of petty matters.

But, more importantly, Seto wasn't in the mood for his younger brother to be scolded.

Gozaburo was on a shorter fuse than normal today. Seto was sure of it and his sharp intellect led him to the conclusion that whatever was bothering him had something to do with this impromptu trip the three were taking. The businessman had said they were going nowhere special but Seto guessed the CEO was hiding something and he was dead-set on uncovering the secret, if there even was one, in due time.


	2. Discovering Sorrow and Pain

Clarissa shuddered inwardly as she heard Gozaburo's black limousine drive forebodingly into the hospital parking lot. However, she swallowed the lump in her throat as the towering businessman strode purposefully in the door, his heavy expensive personalized boots clunking. "Would you like to speak with Noa?"

The man barely met her gaze as he and his two sons walked in the direction she motioned without replying.

Noa was sitting in his hospital room watching television courtesy of Jasmine, the young nurse from before. On the outside, he appeared to be a calm, recovering teenager while in reality he was experiencing inner turmoil. He tried and failed to laugh at the ridiculous cartoon he was watching. Then, the door opened. There he stood, Noa's father, if he should even still be called that. Standing right beside him were two other boys, one appeared to be Noa's age, the other a few years younger and much meeker.

The older boy gazed fiercely at Noa for no reason while the young one hid behind him. "Shhh, Mokie. It's okay." The older boy attempted to comfort the smaller one.

"Noa", Gozaburo spoke and everyone in the room directed their gaze towards his tyrannical presence. " I'm not sure you've realized but I have adopted two sons, the eldest of which", he looked proudly at the brown haired tall stately boy, "is to be my heir to Kaibacorp."

"Oh that's nice, hello.." Noa fought to keep his voice level but failed miserably. He never had been one to conceal his emotions that well.

"Seto, my name is Seto." Seto said with an arrogant smirk. A bit more confident now after that comment Noa observed.

"You are well enough to come to the Kaiba mansion with us, from what that nurse told me." Gozaburo basically demanded.

Noa knew he couldn't refuse; he was well physically but emotionally there was no way he could be prepared to be replaced.

"Yes sir." Noa tried hard not to let a tear escape but Gozaburo noticed as Noa knew he would. The older man frowned at looked away.

Noa gathered his things and followed Gozaburo and company out the doors. As he turned to exit the double doors he noticed Clarissa looking at him sadly and a bit helplessly. Noa could barely meet her gaze as he continued to walk towards the ominous car.

Noa's heart broke again if that were possible as he watched Seto slide smugly into the front seat. Noa remembered when he would smile as he hopped into the front seat when Gozaburo and he used to ride around town. The two would go places and just have fun together. Oh, how he missed those joyful days of yore.

Noa had always been much closer to his father than his mother. She worked as a nurse at a prestigious hospital; she was rarely home and when she was she hardly ever paid him any attention.

One night, Noa had stayed up late to listen in on his father and mother's conversation as all kids do at some point in their lives.

He wished he hadn't.

The two had eventually argued and yelled even. It was difficult to believe his parents cared about him after that. For if they could not love themselves, how could they love their son.

Noa was jarred out of his disturbing memory when the car pulled up outside home, I mean the manor.

Gozaburo whispered something to Seto and he nodded. He then took Mokuba's hand as the two walked on ahead to the manor. Gozaburo exited the car just as Noa was attempting to avoid conversation.

"Noa," Gozaburo called tauntingly. His tone of voice all but commanded Noa to stay and listen. This was important; would the man apologize for his indifference? Noa smiled to himself at the happy thought. His hopes were soon dashed, however.

"You, he drew the word out cruelly, are to stay in the guest room; your room is being used by Seto."

Noa couldn't take it anymore. "Why?" He sobbed, losing all composure completely.

"If you don't care and don't love me anymore why did you bother bringing me home? To torment me?" Tears ran down his pale face. He slowly looked up at his father; a bit afraid of being struck.

"You may prove useful," was all that passed out of the demon's mouth as he stepped rudely in front of Noa to enter his home.

The distraught boy could do nothing but unconsciously follow suit. Hopefully his descent into hell on earth wouldn't be too painful, Noa thought apprehensively.


	3. Adjusting or Not

As the uncomfortable and slightly depressed Kaiba entered his home, he met the family's long-time butler, Roger. Roger was an American who came to Japan to find work. This had always struck Noa as odd but he liked the middle aged man nonetheless. Roger's gaze met Noa's with awe. He instantly remembered his manners, "Master Noa, welcome back." The older man's eyes twinkled happily as he smiled broadly. Noa returned smile with one of his own. "Is mother here?" Noa treated the subjects much better than Gozaburo. Gozaburo had always taught his son that they were here to serve them and not to treat them with any type of respect. This was one lesson Noa blatantly ignored.

When Noa was home alone because his mother and father were busy with work, he spent time with the many maids and butlers. The young boy fondly remembered these times as some of the best of his life.

Noa snapped out of his short flashback when Roger met his eyes sadly, "No my dear boy, she is away at the hospital working late again." He then tactfully added out of Gozaburo's earshot, "I'm sorry."

Noa convinced the butler there was no problem but he was a bit put out that his own mother hadn't been notified of his recovery.

"Noa." Gozaburo called impatiently from the other room, "Here's your new quarters." He motioned towards the dingy uncleaned guest room. "If you want to live here you will have to keep it clean and are now responsible for it."

" Welcome home." He snorted and left before Noa could protest or ask questions.

Noa sighed as he entered the disgusting room, for that is exactly what it was.

How could Noa even pretend this was his home? It wasn't that he was spoiled, he just was used to having everything his heart desired. Okay, so he was a little spoiled but that's beside the point.

Noa attempted to organize what few belongings he had in the room. He refused to refer to it as his room because it wasn't. All he owned were his few clothes that hadn't been thrown away, which were mostly eaten up by moth balls due to disuse, and a card that had been given to him by the nurses during his stay in the hospital.

Abruptly, a knock resounded throughout the hollow, poorly furnished room. Noa nearly jumped the sound was so startling.

"Hey, um Noa, can I come in?" A low actually friendly voice inquired shyly.

Noa used process of elimination to determine who it was.

Gozaburo was definitely out.

The older Kaiba was far too cocky to give a second thought to his presence.

Mokuba? At least that's what Noa thought his name was as he quickly answered the boy against his better judgment.

"Come in."

A minute, kid with jet black hair cascading down his back entered the room. Strangely, the little boy glanced over his shoulder as if paranoid someone was watching him. Before Noa had a chance to ponder over the child's strange actions, Mokuba burst into tears.

"I'm sorry he choked out." Tears streamed down his innocent face. "Please don't hate my brother and me." He paused to breathe. "We didn't know he had other family-"

"Shh." Noa said awkwardly. He had never been any good with children and crying people? Don't even go there.

The younger boy sniffled as he tried to meet Noa's gaze without crying again.

He opened his mouth to speak again but Noa spoke first silencing him. "It's not your fault or your brother's. I'm not mad just a bit shocked." Noa faked a smile but it probably looked more like a grimace because Mokuba's expression stayed heartbreakingly sad. True, Noa wasn't happy about being replaced and he knew it was something he would never get over completely but he couldn't just blame the boys. His so called father had played a larger role in his unhappiness hands down.

"So you don't hate me?" Mokuba's puppy dog eyes were so piercing Noa almost couldn't take it.

"Of course not, now you should leave because I'm not sure if you're allowed to be around me." Noa ushered Mokuba outside after making sure no one else was there.

"Right," Mokuba replied quickly leaving. He had forgotten what Gozaburo had said right before the trio had gone to meet Noa.

Flashback:

"Son," Though Mokuba was present also Gozaburo addressed solely Seto. "When he comes home you are not to speak to him or anything of the sort. Do you understand?"

Seto had nodded fiercely. He looked at Mokuba telling him by way of eye contact to acquiesce to Gozaburo's demand.

Gozaburo then turned his icy gaze towards the black haired boy.

"I understand." Mokuba smiled, not really understanding why he had been asked to do this but eager to make his father happy.

After actually seeing Noa though, Mokuba's opinion had changed greatly. Why does Gozaburo not want us, his adopted children, to associate with his biological son? He does not treat Noa even hospitably. Of course, I understand this. Father obviously favors Seto over me. So I guess I get how Noa feels.

End Flashback

These turns of events are what had changed Mokuba's mind.

It was almost like the forbidden fruit. If someone is told something is taboo, it makes he or she want to partake of it.

Well, Mokuba had more motivation than just wanting to break the rules. He wanted to see what Noa was really like.

As the petite boy left Noa's quarters, his mind whirred with thoughts. If Seto could see how nice Noa is, maybe we could all be friends. Then father might like me more. We could be like a real family.

Mokuba knew "father" and "mother" were really Noa's parents. Seto and his real parents had been killed in a car wreck some odd years ago.

Hence the reason the two had been in an orphanage until recently.

Mokuba couldn't get one thought out of his young mind, however, as he made his way back to his room.

Why didn't Gozaburo want me in the beginning? I clearly remember Seto having to force Gozaburo to adopt me, too.

He shook his head too clear his thoughts. All these questions without satisfactory answers were making his head hurt.

Mokuba laid down on his comforter hoping to find peace with his dilemmas or at least a refuge in his sleep.

**A/N: First one in this story. I like reviews if you read and like it please review. Okay? Suggestions are welcome too because it's hard for me to have a definite idea about where to go if I don't know what the readers think**. **I'm starting to think nobody likes my story. tears.**


	4. A Day at School, More or Less

Noa grimaced as he awoke. He would almost rather be in the hospital. Glancing at the clock, he realized it was about 7:45. He sighed audibly. What day was today?

Noa rubbed his temples soothingly. It didn't really matter what day it was; it wasn't like Gozaburo was going to make him attend school, considering the older man couldn't care less about his biological son.

Gozaburo opened the door yelling at a volume that could crack windows. "Get up I enrolled you in school last night! You'll be in some classes with Seto!"

Noa rolled his eyes. Supposedly, he was the black sheep and now he had to deal with more of this BS.

He quickly got ready and briskly strode downstairs. Gozaburo was tapping his foot impatiently while standing at the door. Seto and Mokuba were sitting calmly on the couch. The older boy seemed alert; Mokuba tried to stifle a yawn.

Gozaburo looked a bit annoyed as he swung the door open motioning distractedly for them to follow him out to the car.

Noa couldn't believe that Gozaburo wasn't being rude to him. Other than screaming at him earlier he seemed to be treating him civily.

When Gozaburo arrived at the school, it was pouring down rain. He dropped the boys off so they could walk under a roofed in area at the school entrance. Without another word, he drove away.

"No, have a nice day?" Noa asked cynically as he turned to Seto. He didn't really care for the brown haired boy but he would be Noa's only chance at navigating the school on his first day.

"Hey, er, Seto. Where do I go to get my schedule?" Seto jerked his head around so fast that Noa was sure he could have snapped his neck. He remained speechless for about a minute, seemingly dumbstruck that Noa could actually talk.

Recovering, he replied bitingly, remembering he was supposed to be rude to Noa, "Guidance office, Mrs. Lechler. But you have the first block with me so just follow me to class."

Mokuba cutely pulled on his older brother's pant leg, "Big brother, can you show me where to go, I mean I know what classes I have but this school is so big."

Seto's earlier expression evaporated when he turned to speak with his brother. "Noa and I will make sure you get wherever you need to go. We'll walk you to class." Seto stole a look in Noa's direction, checking to see if that was okay with him. Noa nodded.

Noa felt odd. Not ten minutes earlier, Seto had been disgusted with him. What changed his mind; why was he acting so nice?

But Noa didn't have long to wonder because people began filing into the halls almost out of nowhere, enclosing the trio. "Stay close Mokuba." Seto grabbed his hand and nodded for Noa to follow them.

After dropping off Mokuba and making sure he wasn't going to tear up, after all it was his first day at middle school, Seto led the way to his and Noa's first class, government.

Pausing outside of the classroom door, Seto tapped Noa on the shoulder. "Listen, sorry I was such a jerk earlier but I have to make Gozaburo like me. Otherwise, he might return Mokuba and me to the orphanage."

Noa quirked an eyebrow. He can't be serious; but Seto's expression seemed sincere.

"Okay." Noa answered for he had no idea what else to say on the matter.

"Now come on", Seto said smiling, the bell's about to ring." He said as the two walked in the door. Not a second later, it rang.

"Take your seats quickly now students. I do not tolerate misbehavior or tardiness in my classroom."

"Crap, Seto whispered to Noa after they had taken their seats beside each other. "I always seem to get the strictest ones." Noa laughed as he turned his attention back to the pmsing teacher.

"Get out your books after you fill out the parent information sheets and begin copying the vocabulary for chapter one." She hadn't even bothered to give her name before she began barking out orders. Man, this was going to be a long semester.

"But there's like 30 words!" A blonde haired boy with a very strange accent protested.

"Joseph Wheeler do not make me write you up on the first day!" The teacher glared evily at him as he quickly began copying definitions.

"Who's that?" Noa asked curiously.

"The class idiot." Seto replied promptly.

The next couple of classes passed just as the first long and completely pointless.

When lunchtime rolled around, Seto and Noa stood conspicuously outside of the lunchroom to wait for Mokuba.

Seto saw him as he came up and turned to go find a table but Noa wasn't paying attention.

He had just seen the most beautiful girl entering the lunchroom. She had long blonde hair, striking blue eyes, and seemed to glow as she left his line of sight.

"Noa!" Seto called, "hurry up!"

Noa pushed through the crowd and, spotting the two already sitting down, followed suit.

All three grabbed sack lunches off of the lunch cart that the lunchroom workers rolled around the lunchroom.

Mokuba smiled contentedly at his older brother and Noa's recent behavior. Though neither one was talking much, he could tell the two had come to some sort of agreement. After all, the were acting civil towards each other.

"Hiya guys!" A loud familiar voice shocked the three out of their separate thoughts.

"What the-?"

"Mind if we sit here?" a smiling blonde followed the voice. It was Joey Wheeler from last block. His 3 friends were standing with him. The short one with the tricolored hair made an attempt at a friendly smile but it was clear the boy was embarrassed. The only girl noticed Seto and winked at him flirtatiously. He ignored her advances politely. The final boy, had hair that seemed to defy gravity. He shot Seto a glare after he saw the way the girl looked at him.

Mokuba and Noa looked a bit amused as they stared at the intrusive blonde. Seto just looked irritated.

"Can I help you?" The brown haired Kaiba gritted his teeth at the boy.

"Oh, where are my manners!" Joey rubbed his hand on the back of his head sheepishly, "The name's Joey Wheeler, this is Tristan, Yugi, and Tea." He gestured towards each of them in turn.

The foursome sat down and the seven kids ate in silence.

The rest of the day passed rather uneventfully.

Noa was a bit put out that he didn't see the gorgeous girl from earlier, again throughout the day. But he was even more disappointed when he learned she wasn't in any of his classes.

As the boys got in the car with Gozaburo, Seto made a point to push Noa roughly as he slid in the car. Seto gave him an apologetic look when Gozaburo wasn't looking.

It wasn't his fault he had to be mean. That was just the way the sadistic man worked.


	5. Meeting Friends?

Noa, Seto, and Mokuba were beginning to settle into the daily grind of school and Gozaburo had been kinder to Noa and Mokuba as of late. All in all, the boys were happy. But Noa, of course, was missing the new girl.

It was now the fourth day of school, a Thursday. Thursdays were Noa's least favorite days because they droned on and on. Currently, Noa was sitting bored stiff in his second block class when, unannounced, but not uninvited, the pretty new girl from before waltzed into the classroom. Mr. Albritten, a stately elderly slightly hard of hearing teacher then abruptly stood up and made his way to the front of the classroom.

He cleared his throat, demanding the attention of the drowsy students.

Seto glanced up at the sound but then returned to his assignment when he saw the new student. It wasn't that Seto hated girls, in fact, though one would be hard pressed to make him admit it, he liked girls a lot, but only certain types. Most girls who talked to him were interested in his looks, primarily, or money. These were usually the ditzy, ahem, skanky ones, he dealt with these girls by ignoring them.

Seto hated how everyone assumed he had money just because he had been adopted by that tightfisted man, Gozaburo. Hell, most people didn't know he wasn't Gozaburo's real son.

Noa just couldn't take his eyes off of her. The teacher then began introducing the new student, shocking Noa out of his enjoyable reverie.

"Students, this is Rebecca Hawkins. She just transferred to this school this year and, due to some older students' scheduling needs, she has been switched to our class. I want you all to make her feel welcome. Also, one of you sitting near her will need to let her copy your notes from the past few days to help her catch up." He muttered something about this being an advanced class and moved back to grade papers at his cluttered desk.

Kinda pathetic, Seto thought, it's the fourth day of school and already the man is having trouble staying organized. If he loses my test, he's dead meat.

While Seto was fuming about messiness, Noa was trying to hide the fact that he was looking at Rebecca. Many of the other boys, however, weren't, to his annoyance.

Guys around the room, including Joey from before were making sexual remarks or openly checking her out. Mr. Albritten noticed the inappropriate behavior but chose to look the other way. If she was Noa's girlfriend or friend, he would punch all of them into next week. Well, if he was violent he would.

Oh, she spoke like an angel as well Noa thought dreamily.

"Mr. Albritten, where do I sit?" Rebecca was inwardly disgusted at the boys behavior but kept smiling as she had been taught.

Noa noticed an empty seat beside him but was way too shy to point this out, but he kept hoping Mr. Albritten would grant his inner wish.

But Mr. Albritten had other plans, "There's an empty seat near Yugi Motou, over there" He gestured towards the spiky haired boy.

Rebecca moved to take her seat and Noa was thoroughly disappointed.

Yugi blushed scarlet as she sat in the seat next to him. He was too shy to speak to her.

Tristan noticed she was pretty but refused to do more than glance at her. The only girl for him was Tea, the busty brunette from before. Unfortunately, she was a crazy flirt who paid more attention to Joey than him. She was currently ignoring the new girl and chatting with a bunch of hot guys, none of whom Tristan liked. Now, the tall brown haired boy was depressed, he imagined himself crying "Tea!" while sobbing in a corner.

Joey didn't waste any time. He took Rebecca's hand in his own and said loudly, his odd accent reverberating through the classroom. "The name's Joey Wheeler and you are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen."

Several guys in the class sent him death glares.

Noa, on the other hand, chose to refrain from such childish behavior, although, he would have loved to punch Joey in the face for being such a pig.

Rebecca smiled and thanked Joey for being friendly because she was a nice girl with proper upbringing but she withdrew her hand from Joey's, exemplifying her lack of feelings for him.

Everyone saw this and laughed except for Seto who was still doing his work and Noa who was just relieved she didn't return Joey's feelings.

Tea then paused from her chatting with her posse, some really hot guys including Duke Devlin, school bully, to smack Joey over the head.

"Why are you such a womanizer Joey?! I swear you do that to every girl you meet!"

Tea laughed and returned to her conversation.

Joey was so embarrassed his face turned bright red. He didn't say another word for the duration of the block. And, from Noa's first impression of Joey, this was quite the accomplishment for him.

Throughout the period, Noa kept sneaking discreet glances at Rebecca. She was always busy talking with someone, Yugi, or not looking in his direction, though. He narrowed his eyes.

Why was she suddenly so tight with Yugi? They had just met a half hour ago. But Noa decided he was being stupid. After all, he didn't want her to be lonely.

But oh how he wished she sat next to him. Then maybe she would be talking to him right now, instead of Yugi.

The class bell rang to dismiss the students.

"No homework over the weekend since it's the first week but be ready for some serious work next week." Mr. Albritten was largely ignored as most people were shoving each other to get out the door as quickly as possible. Next period was lunch after all.

Noa and Seto met up with Noa outside of the lunchroom.

"Will Yugi sit with us again today?" Mokuba asked sweetly.

Seto made a face. "I hope not." Noa didn't say anything.

"Everything alright, Noa?" Seto asked but then he had an odd look on his face.

"It's that new girl, huh. You like her." Seto smiled which kind of frightened Mokuba because it looked conspiratorial.

Noa waved his arms unconvincingly as he denied Seto's accusation. "What would make you think that?!" He raised his voice. "I, I-"

Seto patted him on the shoulder. "No big deal, man but watch Yugi, okay. Don't get your hopes up."

Noa, Mokuba, and Seto entered the lunchroom. Noa was deep in thought. _If Rebecca's good friends with the Yugi crew then if he sits with us, she'll sit there too. And maybe I can talk to her._

Noa remained in good spirits as the trio sat down with their lunches.

Noa smiled to himself._ It shouldn't be long now. In a few minutes, I'll find out whether she's sitting here or not._


	6. Interactions

**A/N: Thanks to my reviewers! You guys are what prompted me to write this chapter. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh. **

La-talking or narration

_La-thoughts_

As Noa continued to anticipate what would happen if Rebecca did, indeed, sit with them, Yugi quietly pulled up a chair beside Seto. Seto, deeply engrossed in his Calculus homework, looked up, startled. Yugi caught the look and quickly explained himself.

"Hey Kaiba, sorry um..can we sit with you?"

"Who is 'we' Moutou?" Kaiba was looking a bit irritated now.

"Me, Tristan, Joey, and Tea." Yugi almost looked like he was begging. _Please Kaiba for just this once don't be such a pain in the neck._

"Fine." He went back to his book.

"Hi Yugi." Mokuba smiled at the spiky haired boy.

"Hello, Mokuba and, what's your name?" Yugi asked while extending his hand to Noa.

"Noa Kaiba. Pleased to meet you." Noa said politely while taking the offered hand. _Crap, he'll notice that we have the same names and he obviously will know something is up._

He looked confused for a moment then decided not to ask.

"Where are your other friends?" Noa asked.

"Well, here's Joey now." Yugi replied looking a little embarrassed as the blond boy deliberately pulled up a chair.

"Yug, why are we sitting with this loser?!" The sometimes dense Joey openly jabbed a finger in Seto's direction.

"Joey, stop it right now." He then whispered in his friend's ear. "Be nice, he's the only other person we know here."

Joey immediately changed his attitude. "Hiya guys." He then went to work on his sandwich.

Tristan and Tea arrived a bit after Joey. Tea, taking the empty seat next to Yugi, began harassing Joey across the table. The tagalong, Tristan, grabbed the seat by Tea, even though she didn't notice, and began gazing at her.

Seto rolled his eyes. _Lovestruck puppy._

Deciding now was the time to do so, Noa popped the question, so to speak. "So, Yugi, you're in one of my classes, right?"

"Yeah, that's right." Yugi smiled slightly, glad to make small talk.

"We're supposed to have a quiz in there later this week."

_I must have been so busy thinking about Rebecca that I didn't hear that. _"What day is it supposed to be on?"

"Thursday, and me, Joey, and Rebecca are setting up a study group. Do you know her, Rebecca, the new girl?" Yugi asked, interested.

Noa fought the urge to blush, "Um."

"In fact here she is now." "Hey Rebecca."

"Hi, Yugi, Tristan, Joey, Tea." The beautiful blonde haired girl looked at Noa with faint recognition. "You're in my class. Rebecca Hawkins, pleased to meet your acquaintance." She extended a thin manicured hand to Noa.

Noa felt his heart beat faster as she took the seat beside him still holding her hand out to him. _Okay, calm down play it cool._

Surprisingly, he managed to take her hand and introduce himself without stuttering too horribly bad. "Noa Kaiba." He even managed a smirk.

"So, she turned to him once again, _Damn_, he cursed inwardly, _just when I almost had my composure back, too. _"Are you interested in joining our study group?"

"I'd be delighted to." Mokuba then motioned to Seto discreetly. "Oh, and I'll make sure Kaiba here comes along, too." Seto didn't respond he merely continued reading his thick volume of difficult mathematics.

"Great, Rebecca smiled one of those smiles Noa loved, "meet up at Yugi's Grandpa's Game Shop at 8 tomorrow after school."

The bell then rang signaling the end of lunch.

"See you later Yugi, Rebecca." Noa said.

"Bye Yugi." Mokuba called sweetly.

Seto closed his book and went to throw the remains of his lunch in the garbage can without speaking to anyone.

Tea, Tristan, and Joey just walked out in a group not paying much attention to any of the Kaibas, after all, Seto wasn't particularly well-liked among his peers. In fact, he had a reputation for being a bit of an arrogant jerk or 'dat arrogant moneybags' as Joey more appropriately dubbed him.

"See you tomorrow, Noa." Rebecca waved and then left to go to her Civics class in a separate building.

"Bye, Noa, Mokuba, and Kaiba." Yugi then hurried to catch up with his gang.

"Seto seems kind of upset." Mokuba said to Noa after they were trying to find Mokuba's next class a bit later.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I've never seen him so rude before."

"That's because the kid Yugi is my brother's biggest rival, you know, well I guess you might not, the one who beat my brother at duel monsters."

"Understandable then, nevertheless, he is a rather nice guy."

Later at home:

Seto and Noa were sitting at opposite ends of the large worktable in the central hall of the Kaiba Manor doing their homework.

"So, um I'm going to go to that study meet with Yugi tomorrow after school." Noa began uncertainly.

Without looking up, Seto said, "Yeah and?"

Noa took a deep breath and continued on, "And I said you would come, too."

Instead of getting angry, Seto remained impassive. "I don't need to study with others; I prefer independent study."

_I know that._ Noa thought to himself. "Does that mean you're not coming?"

Seto then looked up and almost smiled, "I'm not riding home in the limo by myself with Gozaburo."

_What about Mokuba_? Noa was about to ask when Seto answered his unspoken request.

"Mokuba can hang out with Yugi's grandpa. Learn a little bit more about Duel Monsters."

"Would you teach me how to play?" Noa almost regretted asking, but then he got Seto's answer.

"You'll be learning from the best."

The two then finished their work in silence. One was concentrating on the next day's activities, the other was pondering something much deeper.

**A/N: Updates are influenced somewhat by reviews and how much time I have to write. I will update for certain at least once a month and on weekends. Check for more information on my profile. Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	7. Study Buddies

**Disclaimer: I don't own, okay?**

Noa could hardly stand it. He was sitting in his last period class waiting for the study session. Rebecca hadn't come to school today because she went to some community service project, according to Yugi.

When the bell finally rang, Seto, Mokuba, and Noa began walking in the direction of the game shop, which was 2 blocks down from the school.

"Do you really think Mr. Motou will teach me about trading?" Mokuba excitedly asked Seto for the fifth time since he had found out they were going there.

And Seto responded the same way he had been, "Yes, Mokuba."

The three walked in the game shop and, to Noa's inner disappointment, only Joey and Yugi were there so far.

Still, he put forth an effort to be kind, Yugi was sort of a friend anyway.

"Hey Yugi." Noa and Mokuba said while Seto merely gave a curt nod and sat down at the table.

"Hey you three. Oh, Noa you didn't meant him yesterday. This is one of my best friends, Joey Wheeler." _Yugi just had to play the part of host huh._ The green haired boy thought sarcastically.

"Heya Joey," Joey greeted Noa a bit warily, seeing how he had come with his ultimate rival Kaiba. _Man, one of these days I'm going to beat that guy._

"Where's everyone else?" Mokuba asked cutely.

"Tea just called me; she'll be here in a minute. I haven't heard from Rebecca and Tristan." Yugi replied.

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late. I had to do some errands for my mom. You know how she gets." Tea explained as she walked in the door. She swiftly deposited her books beside a chair and sat down. "Where's that bonehead Tristan?"

Joey snickered. Yugi just shrugged his shoulders. "I haven't heard from him Tea."

"I'll text him then. He probably forgot. Oh well, he'll fail the class anyway." The brunette said as she flipped out her silver LG.

"Tea, that's-" Yugi tried to defend his friend, but Joey interrupted.

"Give it up Yug! This is hilarious!" Joey was nearly in tears from Tea's comment.

Seto spoke for the first time since he arrived. "Stuff it Wheeler."

"Why I oughta!" Joey lunged for him while Yugi attempted to hold him back.

Luckily, the entire situation was forgotten when two others walked into the game shop soaking wet.

"What happened to you guys?" Joey needlessly asked.

"What does it look like?" Tristan rhetorically asked.

"A sudden downpour started and we just broke into a run." Rebecca more accurately explained their situation.

Yugi asked Rebecca and Tristan if they wanted to dry off, but Rebecca stated that they needed to just forget it and study. Everyone complied.

"Well, let's quiz each other over the information." Yugi suggested, "because we've all read, right?"

Joey rubbed the back of his head, giving himself away. Tristan looked down. Tea rolled her eyes. "Why did you even bother coming if you hadn't at least read the assignment?"

"So that we could pass the test, duh." Joey answered for them both.

Mokuba was still sitting with them swinging his feet idly. "Oh, sorry Mokuba. Grandpa's in the room behind the register if you want to go talk to him, he's expecting you."

"Really? Cool, thanks Yugi." And Mokuba nearly skipped off.

Tea suggested that the ones who did read review and promptly told 'the lazy asses who didn't to speed read or to skim'.

Noa and Tea asked each other questions.

Yugi and Rebecca quizzed each other and Seto just sat there, pretending like he didn't care, but listening all the same.

Three hours later. The group leaned back, mentally exhausted. "I'm hungry." Tristan complained. "That's nothing new," Tea retorted with a slight smile.

"I feel like we made a lot of progress." Rebecca beamed.

"Yeah, Yugi added, we'll all ace that test."

Noa and Tea nodded, but Tristan and Joey were already arguing about something.

"Sorry, to run out on you guys, but I've got some homework for Lit." Tea waved as she left for her house next door.

Not long after, Joey and Tristan left.

"So, Rebecca, do you need a ride home?" Yugi asked.

Seto had left at this point to retrieve Mokuba from Mr. Motou.

"No thanks. My house isn't that far." She politely declined.

"But I insist." Yugi kept offering.

"Yugi, I don't need you hovering over me like I'm a child. I can handle myself, thank you very much." Rebecca said raising her voice slightly.

"Besides, Noa," Rebecca addressed the boy who had been awkwardly standing there, "you three are walking home too, right?"

"No, Seto's going to call a limo." He answered as Seto and Mokuba walked up.

"Noa, we need to get going. I already called Gozaburo." Seto said as he went to walk out the door.

"How far from here do you live Rebecca?" Noa harmlessly inquired.

"About two miles." She acted as if it was no big deal to walk that distance.

"The car's here. I better get going." Noa walked out the door, but before it closed, Rebecca stopped him.

"Wait, can I er, ride home with you? Because it's dark outside and my grandpa wouldn't want me walking home alone at night." Rebecca explained.

Yugi looked miffed and walked off to the upstairs floor of the game shop where he and his grandpa lived.

"I don't see why not. But we gotta hurry, Richard doesn't like to be kept waiting." Noa and Rebecca hurriedly got into the car, both slipping into the backseat as Seto and Mokuba had already claimed the front.

"Where to?" Richard inquired.

"The Hawkins Manor," Rebecca supplied.

As the car pulled off, Noa noticed Seto's expression from the backseat. He looked like something was bothering him and deeply, too. Deciding not to ask him in front of Richard, Noa remained silent.

"Bye, Noa. See you tomorrow." Rebecca said as she got out at her house.

"See you." Noa called as she hurried up the steps to the Hawkins Manor.

Richard drove the boys back home, said goodbye, and then left.

Noa then decided it was the best time to ask Seto so he tapped the other boy on the shoulder.

"Hey is everything alright?" Noa asked kindly.

Seto looked unsure then answered, "Of course, why do you ask that?"

"You looked, disturbed, in the car," Noa said being honest.

"Just thinking." Seto stated, leaving no room for further discussion. _He'll ask again. He's not stupid. I just don't want him to know yet. It's hurting me bad enough just knowing what's going to happen._

Noa lay awake in his bed thinking about all of the possibilities of what could be bothering Seto._ Did I do something? No. Gozaburo, maybe. I don't know. Nevermind, whatever it is will come up again and when it does, I'll get an answer._

**A/N: I forgot how much I enjoyed writing this story. Criticisms, comments, and compliments are welcome!**


	8. Life Is Never Easy

A few weeks passed. Surprisingly enough, Seto was getting along well with the Yugi crowd. His abrasive personality caused a few disagreements, mostly between the dog and himself. Otherwise, everything at school was going smoothly. Home was a completely different story altogether.

Seto had noticed that, especially recently, Gozaburo had changed his attitude towards Noa drastically. He had gone from being cold and ignoring Noa to outright cursing him out, threatening to hit him, and locking him up in his room most of the time. The CEO had also gone from giving Seto breaks every now and then to bringing home gifts quite frequently. Gozaburo, of course, was forcing them both to study rigorously, completely ignoring Mokuba, for which Seto was grateful.

Currently, Seto was walking down one of the many long hallways of the Kaiba manor; he passed Noa who was glaring vehemently at him. He contemplated greeting him then thought better of it. The slightly shorter green haired boy stuck his foot out in Seto's path when he figured the brunette wasn't paying attention.

Because he was a prodigy, he had seen and easily stepped over Noa's foot. Seto was annoyed by his stepbrother's annoying behavior, however, and chose to comment on it.

"What's your deal? You've been acting like a complete jackass for the past few days." Seto acted as if he couldn't care less, but in reality he wanted Noa to like him, not resent him, not that he would ever admit that to his only slightly less arrogant housemate.

"Hmph, Noa sneered, mocking him, "what's my deal. Isn't it obvious, Seto? Dad is treating you better than me." He paused for emphasis, but when Seto tried to interject Noa continued rudely.

"Don't think I don't know what this is about. You're trying to steal Kaiba corporation and you're willing to do anything to accomplish your goals." Noa's harsh eyes locked onto Seto's blue ones which at the moment were like an open book, clearly shocked and confused.

_Noa's completely missed the point. I'm not the enemy here; his so called "dad" is, but now's not the time to say that. He'll just go blab to Gozaburo about it._

"Noa, you're wrong." Seto looked truly earnest, but Noa was too angry to see emotion or reason.

Before the taller boy could continue his statement, Noa smacked him hard in the face, "Stop lying to me, bastard!"

On his way out the door, Seto could clearly here his poorly concealed mumble. "Father will definitely hear about this."

As if on cue, Mokuba entered the hallway seconds later, blissfully unaware of the tension present a few seconds earlier.

"Hey Seto, what's up? It's already 11pm, but I heard yelling." The younger boy sleepily rubbed his eyes.

Not wanting to concern his innocent little brother, Seto reluctantly dismissed his worries. "Nothing Mokuba, just go back to sleep."

Mokuba wasn't stupid; he knew something was amiss. _I want to believe Seto, but I can see it in his eyes. He's really upset about something. I'm sure he'll tell me when he's ready, but I'm sick of being treated like a baby._ Nevertheless, Mokuba complied, returning to his bed and soon falling asleep.

Back in his room, Noa burst into tears when he was sure no one could hear him. _It's not fair! I'm brought back to life, just to be tortured and hated. Seto seems decent and Mokuba seems sweet, but they're probably both in on Gozaburo's plan to get rid of me._

Tears streaming down his face, he laid down saying softly to himself. "I should've stayed dead."

Unluckily for the Kaiba boys, school was out for the winter break. Classes would not resume again for nearly a month. Mokuba was determined, though, to get out of the house. He couldn't take much more insults from Gozaburo and disagreements between his brother and stepbrother. On a whim, he called Yugi from one of the private bedrooms the boys were never supposed to enter. "Kame Game shop, how may I help you?" Sugoruko Motou answered lively. "Um, may I speak to Yugi please?"

In a softer, yet still energetic voice, Mr. Motou asked him, "Who is this?"

"Mokuba, sir. Can Yugi come to the phone, then?" He said a bit more confidently.

"Sure," Mokuba could hear Yugi's grandpa's loud voice all the way from the upstairs floor of the game shop. He laughed quietly to himself.

The young black haired boy heard a creaking sound and looked up sharply. The door had swung in a few centimeters, but Mokuba saw what was surely a shadow reflected on the wall. Mokuba didn't dare breathe, but then the eavesdropper appeared. It was Noa; his eyes widened when he saw what the boy was doing, but smiled, his way of reassuring Mokuba he wouldn't tell. He got the message, grinned, and then continued talking to Yugi.

Yugi agreed to meet all three of the boys at the game shop later in the week. Mokuba was delighted and so was Noa after he was filled in. Now all that needed to be done was to get Seto to call the car on the day Yugi specified.

Noa had asked Yugi if Rebecca would also be there; he had said he hadn't contacted her yet, but would let them know first thing when the three arrived at the game shop.

He went back to his room because he had snuck out to see who was using the phone. Maybe this week wouldn't be so bad, Noa smiled to himself.

A little later, an irritated Mokuba was trying to convince Seto to get the car to go to the shop. "Absolutely not. You know Noa's not allowed outside of his room and if we get caught helping him we'll be punished, too." The look on Seto's face screamed non negotiable.

But Mokuba wasn't giving up that easily, "Nii-sama, please! That's Dad's dumb rule anyway. Unless you're too scared to break his rules." At that Seto had to laugh, "Fine, I agree. But only because I can't let my little brother think I'm scared."

A/N: Sorry for not updating earlier! I got sidetracked by my new story and real life, but this story will finally be getting the attention it deserves. Also, harassing me may help me update faster. : )

A few major details I forgot to mention earlier in the story. One, there may or may not be dueling. That's for the reviewers to decide. Two, there may be a time skip, just a forewarning. Three, don't be afraid to ask questions or even to flame. Reviews are so helpful to me, so please review! I'm no expert at this and any criticism can help.


	9. Can You Keep A Secret?

Mokuba's face glowed with happiness as he quietly squealed and hugged his older brother, "Thank you so much Niisama!"

Seto was already analyzing how this little good deed of the two brothers' could wind up backfiring in their faces, but for the moment he smiled slightly and embraced Mokuba.

"Oh! Before I forget, Seto, I need to inform Noa of our plans, so he can prepare himself and such." Mokuba ended the heartwarming hug and cautiously entered the hallway. It wasn't long before Seto had joined Mokuba by his side. He placed a hand gently but firmly on Mokuba's shoulder.

"Noa's room is all the way down the hallway, maybe it would be best if I took the risk instead." Mokuba searched Seto's face for the chance of a compromise but knew he would fare better to allow the headstrong Kaiba to get his way this time.

"Hai, I'm going to bed, night Seto." And with a similar response from Seto, Mokuba retired for the night.

Seto stood on the threshold of his room and the hallway planning out his next course of action. He checked the time. 10:30. It was too late for Gozoboro to be actively roaming around the mansion, but if he heard anything suspicious he would most certainly investigate. The servants were known to retire relatively early, so they shouldn't be a cause for worry.

He bravely tiptoed out into the hall, moving quickly, but softly. He was almost outside of Noa's door when someone grabbed him from behind and pulled him into a darkened room. Seto was terrified, but chose not to make too much noise or resist much on the off chance that the "attacker" was friendly. Besides, he was far more worried about what his malicious adopted father would do than a servant or someone else.

The person removed their hands from his mouth. "Why are you entering Master Noa's room at this hour of the night?"

The speaker was very obviously female, so Seto felt no need to disclose his actual goals, perceiving the woman to be no threat. "None of your concern." He was short and sarcastic with his reply.

The woman grabbed his head and turned him around to face her in the almost ethereal darkness; she jerked him so quickly that it caused him a slight pain. "If you mean any harm to Master Noa, you will be dealt with properly." She threatened.

Seto's eyes widened slightly, "Why do you care? Do you work for Gozoboro, secretly or something? Hmph, to think he actually cares about Noa despite his actions to the contrary." The harsher, more steely Kaiba mannerisms were back in his repertoire now that the woman was resorting to threats.

"No, never that bastard, except in terms of being his maid. I would tell you more, but I need to know why you are trying to enter that room." Her tone had turned softer and almost had a hint of sadness to it.

Seto's curiousity was piqued, so he decided to answer honestly, even though the woman could be a spy for all he knew. He had already mentally planned for that scenario. "All three of us, Noa included, are planning to leave the manor sometime Wednesday. We will return the same night. Now, your turn."

The woman pulled a flashlight out and smiled, shining in between the two of them so they could clearly see each other's face. "My name is Clarissa and I have Master Noa's best interests in mind here. He is a kind child and deserves to lovingkindness of a family; unfortunately, what one deserves is not always found." The older woman looked slightly downcast. "I have known the Kaibas for many, many years. Furthermore, I know their ways all too well. The sanest one excluding Noa, is Marilla Gozoboro, his wife, but she has been in a near vegetative state since what happened with Noa. I work as a nurse, but I applied for this position to keep a better eye on Noa. He made an impression on me years ago as a very young child and I think of him as a son." She became teary eyed.

Unsure how to handle such raw emotion, Seto merely interrupted her. "I have my brother Mokuba's best interests in mind here. He cares for Noa as well, even though I'm not sure how much I trust him. Mark my words, if you cover for us somehow on Wednesday, only good can come of it in terms of Noa's situation." Seto was very happy; he had killed two birds with one stone. He had a connection and a cover story, maybe he and Mokuba could be out of this nightmare sooner than he'd thought.

Clarissa clasped her hands together before opening the door, allowing Seto to continue his journey. "I'm the only servant who cares about Master Noa and most of the other servants are sound asleep. Best wishes to your endeavors. You have my word that I won't reveal your whereabouts."

"Thank you," Seto said with a sincere, though small smile. This woman was really sticking her neck out for him, regardless of her reasons and he appreciated it fully.

He didn't bother knocking. He just opened Noa's door slowly so as not to frighten him. Too bad for Seto he was already awake.

A/N: SORRY so much for not updating for almost a year even though I said I definitely would. If I still have any readers, will you guys please not hate me and give me some good action ideas for future chapters and where you want this story to go. ;)


	10. She Said

A/N: Here's the next one! Might be a little uneventful. Thanks for the reviews dears! : ) Most of the ideas mentioned are already going to be incorporated at some point. I'll try to work the others in.

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't ask.

Noa was startled to say the least. He avoided screaming, however, and addressed Seto in a calm, clear voice. "What are you doing in my room?" The younger boy did not even attempt to hide his dislike _or fear,_ Seto wondered in his tone.

"Look, Seto's steely gaze pinned Noa down, I don't like you." _Big surprise there_, Noa thought sarcastically. "But anyone who Mokuba deems trustworthy deserves a chance." Seto didn't look particularly happy about he was saying, but Noa was so happy that he ignored the blue eyed boy's facial expression, or lack thereof in this case.

Noa opened his mouth to say more, but Seto commanded the conversation without raising his voice a single bit. "I do not trust you, do not confuse that fact. I will be watching you like a hawk. Don't misunderstand, I'm doing this for my brother, not you."

Noa looked a little pissed. _So he came in my room, half gave me a heart attack, and is just reminding me of stuff I already knew._

Seto interrupted Noa's silent musings, deciding to get to the point. "Mokuba and myself will assist you in leaving the house in a few days. We are going to meet up with Yugi and the others; make some plans for the future. Be ready early, so we can get back before things become suspect."

The boy's eyes lit up happily, "Thank you." He said graciously, "for whatever the reasons, you are taking great personal risk and I thank you for it."

Seto smirked, "Okay then." He then walked out, closing the door soundlessly.

At school the next day, Noa was preparing to leave school when a fairly strong tug stopped him. He spun around, "Rebecca, hey what's going on?" He managed not to be too nervous despite his feelings for her. _Stupid attraction._

She had a sly grin on her face. "Here's all you need to know about Wednesday. We'll all help you in any way we can."

Before the girl turned to go, Noa decided to risk asking her something. "Look, Rebecca." Her beautiful blue eyes met his own, causing him to gulp in order to maintain his train of thought. "Don't do something you don't want to. I know the others probably dragged you into this and, well, it's dangerous. There are certain risks involved and I don't want you to get hurt."

She smiled at the boy slightly. _How blind of him, he must not realize this was my idea to include the others._ "Noa, don't worry about me." Her expression even calmed Noa's nerves quite a bit. He looked straight ahead for a bit in order to see his father's car in the growing line of cars. He relaxed when he saw the familiar vehicle near the back of the line. _That gives me plenty of time,_ he thought.

She continued, sincerely, "I'm hard headed. I'd never agree to something that I didn't wholeheartedly support." Her voice quieted and she all but whispered to the green haired boy, "And I want to help relieve some of your pain, even if I only help a little. I'll do whatever I can."

Both of them blushed lightly. "That means a lot to me, Rebecca." The car was at the front of the line now, "Bye!" Noa and Rebecca called to each other as Noa ran to get in the car, trying to look as casual as possible.

Seto and Mokuba were already in the car, as that was part of their cover up. Gozaburo raised an eyebrow in displeasure but said nothing. Noa let out a breath, silently, that he hadn't even knew he was holding the manor_. Any suspicion raised could only make it harder to get out of the manor_.

Seto inwardly rolled his eyes. He hadn't seen the interaction between Noa and Rebecca, so he wasn't entirely convinced the boy hadn't been wasting time socializing for no reason_. I don't have time for bullshit; this is serious business to me. Don't screw this up,_ Seto wanted to scream at Noa.

Mokuba held Seto's hand tightly trying to get him to calm down even though he had no idea why his brother was so incensed. He gave Noa a comforting look also, noticing the sweat dripping slowly down the side of his face. The tension remained thick for the remainder of the ride home.

After completing all of their homework, Seto, Noa, and Mokuba reconvened quietly in a back room. Clarissa had set aside a room for 'extensive cleaning' and had asked not to be disturbed for any reason; this room was currently being used by the boys for planning out their next steps. Seto made his earlier displeasure obvious now, "Why were you late getting in the car? You are stupidly not taking this seriously enough." His words were enough to make even Mokuba wince.

The target of Seto's snarkiness responded smoothly, "I'm not an idiot. Rebecca gave me a note pertaining to Wednesday. Here, read it if you don't believe me." There was no way he would share with Seto the rest of Rebecca's conversation. _Wasn't his business anyway._ Hmph.

Seto nearly snatched the note out of his hand, allowing Mokuba to read it over his shoulder as his eyes quickly scanned the paper scrap. He looked up within seconds. "So Yugi's little girlfriend has been doing her homework." Noa cringed inwardly but bit his tongue. "Her plans are decent I suppose. Not meticulously analyzed, but better than anything I would expect. Just need some revisions."

"What do you suggest?" Noa whispered. Though the room was off limits for the time being, Gozaburo wasn't stupid. If he heard questionable sounds from within, he would investigate.

"Considering the others don't know the full details of this issue, I suggest we figure out how we can get Gozaburo out of the picture, see if there is any hope for your mother, and get a good idea of how many bodyguards that bastard has at his disposal." Seto replied easily; his thought process decades ahead of most of his peers.

"Wait, Noa looked frightened, "since when were we going to kill my father?" His voice rose in pitch and Seto gave him a warning look. "He's done so much wrong, so much I never want to share, but that doesn't mean he deserves death."

"Deserves?" The eldest adopted Kaiba smirked. "Who are you to decide what he deserves? Maybe you still have ties to him and want to turn him good again. Grow up Noa; there's no fixing that demon."

Noa was floored. He had not a clue how to respond to this development. "I'll go with your proposal on one condition. I'll try to get you and Mokuba out of here, that part of the plan will still go as you stated. You will help me see if my mother can be restored to health."

"And Gozaburo will still die." Seto said, sure of himself.

"Only if my mother cannot be saved." Noa answered. "I'll work on arranging doctors to look at her; if she wakes up, I'm sure my father will be so distracted that you and Mokuba can leave permanently."

"But he'll still own the weapons corporation and Mokuba and I will be homeless and penniless. Unless she can give us compensation for this hell, I say no way." Seto knew what he wanted and was smart enough not to compromise; he was used to this type of argument.

Mokuba, who had remained silent throughout most of the conversation, finally spoke up, "Give Noa the benefit of a doubt, big brother, see what he can do for his family. You and I will figure something out. We always have." The quiet resolve in his little brother shocked Seto._ He really does care about Noa as a brother, too. I guess there's no way around it, then. _"I'm with you Noa, unless you betray our trust." Seto had spoken; the three left the room carefully and quickly.

A/N: New update trend! I'll try to write in advance and update once a week. Go to my profile for more information.


	11. The First Meeting

Disclaimer: I own, yeah right. Like I own the phrase winning either. Kazuki Takahashi owns Yugioh; Charlie Sheen owns the phrase "winning." -_-

The days leading up to Wednesday went uneventfully. Gozaburo did not seem suspicious in the least. Frankly, the man seemed to pay Noa no attention at all and the Kaiba brothers just enough to taunt them for not doing their homework fast enough. Mokuba was happy that Seto didn't seem to be beaten anymore; maybe Gozaburo had decided to be, at the very least, a decent figure of authority.

Seto was relieved that the beatings were no longer taking place, but he was also worried by the change in routine. Usually, Mokuba would do work slower than expected or cause an accident around the manor resulting in Seto's punishment. He would take any and all of the punishment Mokuba 'deserved' soundlessly or Gozaburo would make Mokuba the target and punish him twice what the monster deemed proper.

Mokuba hadn't changed. He still did his work slower because the work handed to him was on a college level. Occassionally, he would be too noisy when doing something or accidentally drop a glass in nervousness. These things still went on. _Maybe the bastard is onto us _was the single thought that plagued Seto almost every day. He tried to check and see if anything was changing in Gozaburo's daily routine but to no avail. Nothing else was happening any differently. Seto was pissed to say the least. Unfortunately, he did not have enough evidence to consult Mokuba or Noa, so he kept his musings to himself.

"Today's the big day." Mokuba smiled at Seto. Seto only nodded his head. Though no one else would notice, the taller boy was a bundle of nerves, not to mention pissed about Noa's request. _How could three boys younger than 15 bring a woman who had been in a coma for nearly 5 years out of it? _He was a genius and, he admitted begrudgingly, Noa was close to it, but they were no miracle workers.

The boys met up after dinner as planned and walked out of the front door. Clarissa waved to them from an unexposed balcony. She had arranged everything. Gozaburo had been feeling under the weather so she had his food brought up to his room, pretending to fuss over him so he would stay in the room. Due to the master of the house's illness, she had dismissed every extra servant, leaving only herself, the butler, and a bodyguard. The butler was older than herself, slightly decrepit and a bit senile.

Her one real worry had been the bodyguard. He was nameless, young, had short, brown cropped hair, and lurked around Gozaburo's room constantly, as if expecting someone to make an attempt on his life_. He has given enough people reason to want his death,_ Clarissa thought sadly. _How could one man be so evil?_

All of the kids met up together at a Burger World which was within walking distance of the Kaiba residence and Mutou game shop. "Alright Noa, share your ideas." Yugi was the first to speak.

He cleared his throat, meeting no one's eyes as he spoke, "My suggestions revolve around finding Seto and Mokuba a safer place to live." He took a sheet of paper out of his jacket pocket. "There are two main orphanages in Domino City. One is automatically ruled out because my father paid them off. We could call them and give them a reason to deem my father an unfit guardian for them."

Seto was silent. _Sure, go back to an orphanage; like that's high on his priority list_. He decided to correct Noa later on if he got anymore ridiculous.

"That's all I've got right now. Anybody else?" Honestly, Noa had other ideas, but the steeliness of Seto's gaze made him nervous. Let that awful glare be directed at someone else for a few minutes.

Anzu looked, stupidly in Noa's opinion, at Honda. The spiky haired boy was checking out a waitress, _ugh typical _Noa thought irritably deciding to call them out on their blatant inattention even though they were helping the Kaibas.

"Can we all focus here?" Noa said loudly trying not to seem too pissed off. There was no time for such idiocy; a life or death decision could be made today.

Anzu all but winced at the younger boy's tone. _Like, why does he have to be so serious all the time?_ She shook the shock off and just looked towards the conversation, careful not to make eye contact with Noa.

Tristan completely ignored the confrontation.

Rebecca, not oblivious to the thick atmosphere, spoke softly, yet clearly, "Maybe Seto and Mokuba could set something up where it looks like they beat Noa up and left. They could take some money from his vault or something and stay at one of the cheaper apartments until it was safe to get more money." Rebecca had not sounded at all confident in her plan when she first began talking, but Seto's silence and Noa's encouraging and impressed look inspired her to continue. _Not half bad, Becca_. She thought proudly to herself.

Seto remained silent, but did not look overly dissatisfied with her proposition. Noa nodded, "Nice one Rebecca."

No one else volunteered an idea, so Yugi decided to speak, "Where will Noa go if the first idea is carried out? Kaiba said earlier that his father was, um, not very fond of Noa." He wasn't unsure of himself just the words he had said could be misconstrued badly.

Noa swallowed and opened his mouth when Seto launched his answer forward. "He will remain in Gozaburo's care unless harm is being done to him. We need inside information in case he starts plotting something."

His face left no room for questions. Noa didn't like this idea, but refused to disagree with Seto now, besides the time for them to get back was drawing close. Tea and Tristan stood up to leave together. She hung on his arm like an accessory as the two "annoyances" left the game shop in a rush. Jounouchi, who had not said a word the entire time, rose to stand with Yugi after the two said their goodbyes.

Rebecca waved at Jounouchi then hugged Yugi. Instead of walking out with the boys, though, she turned to the Kaibas. "Seto, Noa, Mokuba, regardless of what any of the others think or say about you, I want you to know that I think all three of you are good people. Not given the best circumstances, but you are perfectly capable of dealing with whatever comes your way. Good luck guys!" Mokuba smiled widely and told her bye. Noa assumed she would just walk away, but she turned to him and enveloped him in a huge hug. "Bye, Noa." She whispered the next part, "I worry about you, you know. But I know you're capable." Before he could stop himself, Noa had kissed Rebecca on the cheek.

She gave him a shocked look, touched her face self consciously, and walked off down the street towards her house. Noa smiled to himself, blushing when Seto made an aggravated noise, practically dragging Mokuba down the street. "I'm coming, I'm coming." Noa mumbled.

The boys traipsed back into the manor right on time, making as little noise as possible. They slunk up to their rooms, waiting on the signal for dinner.

Clarissa knocked on their doors, giving them all her knowing smile as she instructed them to come down for dinner. "Any problems Clarissa?" Noa was leaned close to her so he could not be overheard.

"He doesn't suspect a thing." Clarissa winked, leaving to continue her other maid-like duties.

A/N: I think this one is actually uploaded on schedule. Check my profile for more information about this story and, as always, Review My Friends!


	12. Why

A/N: I reread my story and I realized that there are some major issues, like ages. Pretend like everyone is the age they are now, but somehow Mokuba goes to the same school as the rest (so he'll be a few years older). I'll go back and rewrite it this way when I get a chance, because I do want some romance and more mature themes to come up.

Seto refused to speak to Noa in front of Gozaburo, not in a suspicious way, just in a normal "I hate your guts kind of way." Mokuba was a bit bothered by this, but Seto ignored his pleading. Actually, he was ignoring a lot lately. _When we get caught, it's going to be bad_. Seto kept picturing Gozaburo finding out the three had not only been associating with each other, but planning to take his company from him as well. Even though Seto was older, there was no way he could get past Gozaburo's guards even if he could off Gozaburo. Regardless of what he had told Noa, there was nothing that would stop him from getting Mokuba out of the situation before something more drastic happened.

Noa was getting ready to go to bed when the PA system came on, "Noa to Gozaburo's main office." The female voice stated emotionlessly. Noa's heart gave a harsh thump. _Damn it, something happened._

Gozaburo was sitting with the door cracked, his feet on his desk. He looked anything but happy despite the thin smirk on his face. "I cannot believe this Noa, not at all. I thought you had better sense than this."

Noa was confused, "What do you mean Father?"

Gozaburo banged his fist on the desk irately, "Do NOT refer to me as "Father"! It's Kaiba-sama to you, you waste of space."

He continued before Noa could interrupt again. "I mean sneaking around behind my back. I know you saw your mother and you've been trying to get Seto to help you do whatever it is you've been trying to do."

"That's not true." Noa was nervous but maybe it was a bluff, an assumption that he could easily deny.

Gozaburo lifted a finger, shaking it mockingly back and forth. "I raised you better than that Noa-kun," he said spitefully. "Or rather, I raised Seto-kun better than that." Seto entered the room, looking cold and collected. "He told me everything." Gozaburo's smirk widened.

Noa looked horrified. He looked from Gozaburo's hateful expression like he was scoping out his prey to Seto's bland exterior, like ice. "How could you, Seto? I thought you agreed with me." Before Noa could say more, Gozaburo smacked him harshly with a paperweight against his head nearly knocking him unconscious. "Shut up." Gozaburo said almost happily. He stood up and went over there to kick Noa a few times. Seto hadn't moved in the time period.

"Seto, have a go at him." Gozaburo was almost grinning, a sickening smile that would haunt Seto for the rest of the evening. He stated coldly, "I'll let you have that honor." That hadn't been what Gozaburo had wanted to hear.

"Son, you need to discipline him, otherwise, I'll just discipline you for disobeying me." Noa was laying on the floor bleeding; it wasn't that Seto cared about him, but Noa's height and build almost made him look like a lighter haired, thinner version of Mokuba. It was unnerving him to say the least.

Seto walked over to stand over Noa, wanting to obey Gozaburo, but unable to due to the similarity to Mokuba he couldn't comply.

Gozaburo slowly took a set of brass knuckles from his pocket. "It appears Noa's training will end early today. I have to deal with you now." Seto refused to be abused in this manner and quickly flipped Gozaburo over where he was now in control. "You went back on your word "Father". You said you wouldn't harm him."

"Untrue." Gozaburo was unfazed. "I said I wouldn't leave a mark, wipe the blood off and he'll look like he's just sleeping."

Another voice entered the coldness of the room, "I'm afraid you have no say in the matter Seto-san. Remove yourself from Gozaburo and I will handle this from here on out." A gun was pressed against Seto's back, leaving him no choice but to comply. Gozaburo flippantly handed the brass knuckles to the much more built, but no less sadistic bodyguard. "Don't get too much blood in my office. I don't care what you do, just don't leave a visible mark." Before the coarse man exited the room to the sound of Seto's painful moans, he hit a button, "Clarissa, take out the trash will you? And make it fast, I want to retire early tonight."

Mokuba tried hard that night to fall asleep but he couldn't for some reason. _I wonder if Seto's okay. Why wouldn't he be? I probably just didn't hear him come in. _However, curiosity killed the cat and Mokuba eventually got up to check on his dear brother. He found Seto was not in his bed, seeing the time on the bed table he knew something was amiss. _2:35AM on a school night. This is bad._

Mokuba began to tiptoe from Seto's room, when he saw someone else moving in the dim light. He stifled a gasp and hid behind the door in Seto's room to wait for whoever it was to disappear.

"I'm sorry, so sorry." A saddened voice that he recognized began repeating softly after the larger man dumped a person on his brother's bed and left the room. "Clarissa," Mokuba whispered quietly "what's…"

Mokuba had no need to finish his sentence for he saw the source of the older woman's anguish. His poor brother was laying in the bed, he would have looked normal, but his shirt had been removed showing severe bruising and lacerations. "Gozaburo…" Mokuba bit his lower lip, trying, but failing not to cry.

Clarissa hugged the smaller boy close. "He'll be fine, just in a lot of pain. I'm putting ice packs and heating pads on him before I go to bed."

"Can you *sniff* tell me what happened?" Mokuba whispered as the older woman led him back to his room down the hall. "He stood up to Gozaburo after ratting out Noa." Clarissa looked a bit angry.

Mokuba's sad face turned to one of confusion. "Why?, we're supposed to be friends and help each other out. Seto knows that he wants to help Noa, too."

Clarissa shook her head. "I couldn't tell you dear, but Gozaburo's "discipline" and harsh thinking is affecting your brother and not in positive ways. For your sake, I pray he doesn't become like that bastard." Mokuba looked like he wanted to say something, but Clarissa continued, "Keep him sane, preserve what's left of his humanity like only a brother can." She gave him a knowing look then left, quietly closing the door behind him.

The older woman slammed her door in the servant's quarters. She didn't care if anyone heard or woke up. She had seniority, there was not a thing that could be done. Angry tears fell down her face. She was serving Satan while he attempted to corrupt good children and there wasn't a damn thing she could do to stop it. _Seto breaking a promise to his beloved younger brother? _

Noa, the child she loved like he was her own, had been brutally beaten and she had had to leave him, after tending to his wounds, barely breathing. Mokuba's own brother hadn't been left in much better shape. Something had to be done, something big, before the abuse turned to Mokuba or turned into murder.

As she cried herself to sleep, Clarissa vowed to attempt to bring Noa's mother out of her coma and to do whatever it took to stop Gozaburo, even if she paid for it with her life. Her children were grown and could care for themselves. She knew how she could go about reviving Jin, Noa's mother, but how would the woman react to the current situation? Gozaburo had had many lovers in recent times, not like the marriage had been that happy to begin with. Also, Jin had all but ignored her only child, paying him attention only when Gozaburo had been excessively kind to her, which wasn't often. Still, it was worth a try, the trauma of the incident could have changed the woman for good as much as it had changed her husband for the bad.

Mokuba cried himself to sleep, wanting to check on Seto, but seeing firsthand the punishment he would face should he be caught disobeying him again.

A/N: Once again, I did a very interesting time skip. I plan to go back and fix this if the need arises, just let me know. Hope you enjoy the update.


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